Adverse Childhood Experiences among Solitary Confinement Prisoners

• In Event: Solitary confinement, isolation, victimization and riots in prison

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are those events or experiences of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction that occur to children prior to age 18. These traumatic experiences include psychological, physical, or sexual abuse; emotional or physical neglect; and family problems including substance use disorder, domestic violence, mental health, criminal behavior, and parental separation or divorce (Anda, 2007). Studies have found that incarcerated offenders are more likely than those in the general public to have ACE-like experiences including childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse (Wolff & Sánchez, 2019; Wolff, Shi, & Siegel, 2009). This content analysis study examines the prevalence of ACEs in prisoners housed in three California Special Housing Units (SHU), akin to supermax facilities. The study uses secondary analysis to examine data collected from the Houses of Healing program — a 14-week self-study emotional literacy program. Prisoners filled out a self-report survey and submitted four exercises associated with the emotional literacy curriculum: a completed emotional weather report, a letter to their inner 15-year-old self, a letter of apology, and a letter of support to themselves. Though this study surely undercounts the prevalence of ACES, it will hopefully shed some light both on the trauma experienced and the rehabilitative needs of these restricted prisoners.

Author

• Ann Marie Rocheleau, Stonehill College